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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29781612">our stories</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDeviantSentByJericho/pseuds/TheDeviantSentByJericho'>TheDeviantSentByJericho</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ableism, Angst, British Sign Language, But This Isn't Canon So Who Cares, Confident Gilan, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Deaf Character, Deaf Gilan (Ranger's Apprentice), Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sign Language, The Rangers Are Cooler Than Is Probably Canon, but only about the representation, s</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:21:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>349</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29781612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDeviantSentByJericho/pseuds/TheDeviantSentByJericho</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gilan was born deaf.<br/>He's happy that way, but he can't help but wonder if there is a way out from his father's overprotective wing.</p><p> </p><p>Spoilers: there are, this was initially going to be longer but i just can't find the motivation</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gilan &amp; Halt O'Carrick, Gilan &amp; Halt O'Carrick &amp; Will Treaty, Gilan &amp; Will Treaty, Halt O'Carrick &amp; Will Treaty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>our stories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>yes, araluen sign language is abbreviated as asl, however, araluen is based off england, so british sign language is what i'm using here</p><p>i also use lowercase d deaf for most of at least the first chapter of the story, since gilan was kept isolated from the Deaf community from birth, though he does remedy that in the future</p><p>EDIT: the first chapter is going to be the only chapter i think. if i continue this au then it'll be in separate 'books'</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gilan knew he was lucky.</p><p>He had a father who was a knight, and he trained with the best swordsman in all of Araluen! His father had made it mandatory that all his staff should be at least passable in Araluen Sign Language, and he had learned to be fluent in it from birth. Others didn't have that, he knew. </p><p>But it was hard to feel lucky when a part of your existence is treated like some kind of shame, and everyone who knows your deafness is sworn to secrecy.</p><p> </p><p>Would it really be so shameful for him to be who he was?</p><p>Gilan could do anything a Hearing person could do except hear. He could fight, he could run, he could think better than most of the knights he met! </p><p><em>&lt;I know,&gt;</em> Dad would sign, speaking along. <em>&lt;It's not that you aren't capable, It's that others might not think so.&gt;</em></p><p>Swallowing his pride, Gilan shrugged, flicking his thumbs up and outwards. <em>&lt;Fine.&gt;</em></p><p>It was clear he wasn't happy about it though.</p><p> </p><p>Gilan loved the forest. He wasn't supposed to sneak out, of course, but he didn't care. The forest was beautiful and vibrant, filled with colours and life. He'd gotten good at moving invisibly, and wonderful at spotting anything that hid among the branches. There was little chance anyone could sneak up on him, and less that they would. Even if someone did, he had his sword and he knew how to use it. </p><p>His eyes gauged the distance between the trees. There was <em>probably </em>enough room, if he was careful, and for all his bluster, he always was. </p><p> </p><p>Sometimes Gilan wondered.</p><p>He'd wanted to be a Ranger ever since he'd known what they <em>were, </em>unfazed by their reputation unlike men much older than he.</p><p>He wondered sometimes if they'd find him, roaming the forest. If they'd take him in.</p><p>Were there deaf Rangers?</p><p>He couldn't understand why there wouldn't be. But some people were stupid, making up reasons to suit their biases. </p><p>He supposed, if there weren't, he'd just have to get them to make an exception.</p>
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